Starting from nothing, he built a multi-million dollar bonsai garden.

CAN THO - The multi-million dollar bonsai garden of Mr. Tran Hieu Nhan in Thanh Loi 2 hamlet, Trung Nhut ward (Can Tho city) started with the hobby of growing apricot blossoms for Tet.

Rising from adversity

Tran Hieu Nhan's journey into bonsai (the art of growing and shaping small, potted bonsai trees to resemble ancient trees in nature) began in a very simple way, much like his personality. When he was young, seeing the apricot blossoms in full bloom in his yard during Tet (Vietnamese New Year), he decided to plant a few saplings around the yard to create a festive atmosphere. At that time, he never imagined he would dedicate his life to bonsai, much less dream of becoming a "master bonsai artist."

Mr. Tran Hieu Nhan is the owner of one of the largest bonsai gardens in Can Tho City. Photo: Kim Anh.

By 2001, when the number of apricot trees in his garden had grown quite large, he began to think about bonsai – a different world of ornamental plants, exploiting not only the beauty of the flowers and leaves but also the trunk and roots.

At that time, he had almost nothing but passion. In the early days of his career, his family was classified as a poor household in Lap Vo district, Dong Thap province (formerly), with no capital and limited land for production. All he had was passion and perseverance.

He set a principle for himself: if he wanted to pursue the profession, he had to find a teacher who was both skilled and dedicated, and learn from them thoroughly. There were days when he cycled dozens of kilometers from Dong Thap to Can Tho City just to find a teacher to learn bonsai.

However, after many trips, he still hadn't found someone who truly aligned with his vision and perspective. He decided to teach himself, quietly visiting bonsai gardens to observe, exchange ideas, and memorize every small detail, then experimenting and learning from experience for many years.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Giang - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City (wearing a black vest) visits the bonsai garden of Mr. Tran Hieu Nhan. Photo: Kim Anh.

After more than 10 years of working in the ornamental plant business in the former Dong Thap province, his family's finances were still struggling. To earn money to care for his plants, he took on extra work for ornamental plant nurseries in various provinces to supplement his income and gain experience. The first plants he grew were small, inexpensive, and slow-growing. With the money he earned, he bought larger plants, nurtured them for 5-7 years, and then sold them, continuing to reinvest the capital.

“Back then, times were tough, so I only dared to invest in trees with stable value. Initially, I bought inexpensive saplings, planted them for a few years, and then shared them with friends. When I had some extra capital, I continued to buy more expensive trees and nurtured them for longer. My capital gradually increased, from a few million to tens of millions, then hundreds of millions,” Nhân confided.

A multi-million dollar estate

As his finances gradually stabilized, Mr. Nhan moved to Can Tho City to live and participate in the City's Ornamental Plants Association. From here, his career path entered a new, more professional and systematic phase.

The bonsai garden of Mr. Tran Hieu Nhan's family spans over 10,000 square meters. Photo: Kim Anh.

After more than 20 years of accumulating capital and experience, Mr. Nhan has now built a bonsai garden of over 10,000 square meters with more than 1,500 trees of over 20 varieties, including dwarf plum, river fig, juniper, and fragrant cypress. The garden also includes a starfruit tree over 100 years old, shared with him by a friend and planted a few years ago. According to Mr. Nhan, he prioritizes the long-term development of trees that have high, stable value and align with his artistic vision.

Currently, each potted plant in the garden is priced from 20-30 million VND to several billion VND, depending on the level of completion, style, technique, and stability over time. These are the factors that determine the value of the plant in the coming decades, rather than following short-term market fluctuations.

Despite facing economic difficulties, Mr. Nhan doesn't view bonsai as merely a means of livelihood, but as an art form. For him, growing trees isn't just about selling them, but also about fulfilling his passion and enjoying them. Some trees he has nurtured since they were seedlings have remained unsold for many years, kept only to further refine them.

A starfruit tree over 100 years old is being cared for in the bonsai garden of Mr. Tran Hieu Nhan. Photo: Kim Anh.

According to Mr. Nhân, if the focus is solely on buying and selling, bonsai enthusiasts will easily lose sight of the artistic value, and the value of the trees will decrease as a result. Conversely, if the main goal is to base the bonsai on art, growers will invest more time and effort in creativity, helping the trees reach their "peak." This choice has helped his bonsai garden maintain its unique position despite the increasingly competitive ornamental plant market.

Thanks to these efforts, Mr. Nhan has been recognized as a national-level bonsai artist. He won an award at the 15th Asia-Pacific Bonsai and Suiseki Festival in 2019 and has won gold, silver, and bronze medals at numerous city-level bonsai competitions for many consecutive years.

Not only has Nhân's bonsai garden enriched himself, but it has also become a place where many people come to learn the craft and exchange experiences. He is willing to care for customers' trees, provide technical guidance, and create opportunities for young people with a passion for the profession.

Many people visit Mr. Nhan's bonsai garden to learn the craft and exchange experiences. Photo: Kim Anh.

According to Mr. Nguyen Quang Hung, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Can Tho City Ornamental Plants Association, the city is considered the cradle of the ornamental plants industry. After the merger, the city has more than 3,000 members, including over 10 national-level artisans and about 40 provincial-level artisans, with Mr. Tran Hieu Nhan being a prominent figure.

According to Mr. Hung, in the context of urbanization, continuing to cultivate ornamental plants in the old way will only provide a meager living, making it difficult to become wealthy. To increase economic value, those in the profession must pursue a specialized, artistic, and sustainable approach, similar to what Mr. Nhan has been doing.

Mr. Nhân's story of building his profession from humble beginnings is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and the choice of sustainable economic development for farmers. It's a path that isn't glamorous, but is deep enough for those in the profession to stand firm amidst market fluctuations and the passage of time.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/tay-trang-lam-nen-vuon-bonsai-bac-ty-d793795.html